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Parliament OKs Iraq's New Govt
 After nearly three months of political wrangling, Iraq's National Assembly approved a Cabinet lineup yesterday laying the groundwork for the first elected government since Saddam Hussein was ousted to take power. However, two key posts in the 37-member Cabinet — defense and oil — remained disputed and the list failed to incorporate in a meaningful way the Sunni minority due to a dispute over the suitability of Baathists who served in Saddam's regime. The naming of a new government had been seen as a key step in ending Iraq's insurgency, which is believed to be largely driven by Sunnis, and there had been fears that the political bickering had emboldened militants who have staged a series of well-coordinated attacks in recent weeks. The new Cabinet also marked another surprising political comeback for former Pentagon favorite Ahmad Chalabi, a Shiite who will be one of four deputy prime ministers and acting oil minister. Prime Minister-designate Ibrahim Jaafari told reporters that decisions over two vacant deputy prime ministers' slots and five acting ministerial positions will be made in three to four days. Posted by: Fred 2005-04-29 |
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